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Alpacas are members of the camelid family and until the 1980s were only
bred in their native South America. Alpaca fibre is silky soft, lightweight,
yet durable - rare qualities that meet the demands of the modern consumer
. They have been domesticated for fine cloth production for thousands of
years. Alpacas are gentle and curious by nature, easily handled and halter-trained
to lead. Breeding one cria (offspring) per year, they rarely twin. Lifespan
is approximately 20 years and the female is first mated at one year. With
gestation being 11 1/2 months, an adult female can have her first cria at
about 2 years, then breeds up to one cria per year. Alpacas birth only in
daylight and delivery is relatively trouble free. Most cria are standing
and drinking within 2 to 3 hours of arrival.
Alpacas are an outstanding example of domesticated selected breeding.
They are people friendly, earth-friendly, easily managed farm animals. Living
in rural Australia, ownership of alpacas has added a new dimension to the
lifestyle of our family.
The Industry in Australia
Since introduction into Australia in 1988, Alpacas have become
an increasingly important part of our Primary Production sector. The alpaca
fleece is already considered by experts to be one of the worlds' "noble fibres" and
this is at a very early stage of Alpaca fleece development. Selective breeding
techniques are continually producing significant advances in fibre quality.
Earnings Opportunities
When approached as a business and in a serious manner, the potential earnings
from Alpacas are significant. Advanced breeding techniques are now producing
crias that break existing sales records. The establishment costs of a herd
can be recovered within several years from commencement if quality crias
are produced and sold into strong market demand.
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